Imagine this, but with a burning pumpkin instead of an axe.
The Headless Horseman was KingK.Rool's most successful and well-received MYM 3.0 entry. It placed third overall, and was the last one posted. The character originates from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, but this moveset was more for the iconic Halloween villain overall.
Concept and Creation[]
This character was born specifically because KingK.Rool wanted a moveset that would really make its mark on the Top 50. Knowing that the final day of the contest was to be Halloween, he wanted to leave a great final impression, getting in the last moveset of the contest, and knew that the key was the timing; a Halloween character for Halloween would surely impress. He quickly thought of the legend of The Headless Horseman, and was shocked at how easily the ideas flowed. He conspired to keep this character a secret for additional effect, although he let slip a few times that he was making a final moveset, and actually told directly who it would be.
In order to truly outdo himself, K.Rool paced himself when making this, doing a certain segment of the moveset each day. He had to work very quickly to be able to finish in time, and despaired a few times of making it. However, when he completed the Aerials all at once, he found the final push he needed to complete it.
The Horseman's format was based completely off of the one K.Rool had earlier used for Kirby and the updated Pidgeot, with an Attack-Notes layout for increased readability. He opted to use Halloween colours and a somewhat cryptic and creepy writing style throughout, giving all of the attacks grandiose, sinister names.
Moveset[]
The Headless Horseman's central mechanic revolves around his head being a throwing item. He possesses attacks that are boosted if he has it on his neck; attacks you can only use if he has it on his neck; attacks that cause him to lose it; attacks that move it to his hands; attacks that call it to him if it's on the ground; and attacks that move it back to his head. This adds up to quite a unique playstyle that doesn't completely dominate his actual attacks, and is based largely around keeping the pressure going by repeatedly throwing the head in a chain of fluid, vicious attacks that allow no room for an opponent's approach.
His non-pumpkin attacks are unique in their own right, and are all geared around his rapier, fire, will-o-wisps, ghosts, and small voids. He has only one typical melee attack, and even that one has a unique property. The Final Smash, meanwhile, ties the central mechanic together perfectly.
Apart from K.Rool's usual detail on animations and stats, this moveset is fairly low on extras, especially compared to any of MasterWarlord's movesets.
Reception[]
The Headless Horseman was immediately praised, and, due to its excellent timing, was the sole centre of attention on the last day of MYM, receiving dozens of compliments. MasterWarlord immediately considered it as part of an elite level, up there with Dracula and Cervantes, and said multiple times that he would be shocked if one of those three did not take the prize. Even though a few people were already aware of its creation, it came largely as a surprise.
Due to it being fresh in the minds of the voters after the contest, it received an incredible amount of votes, taking an easy third place by a wide margin. Many of the regulars claimed it to be their favourite of K.Rool's movesets, and, even in MYM 4, it is considered as one of his best. Only Chef Kawasaki is definitively superior.
Trivia[]
- In retrospect, MasterWarlord considers The Horseman a superior moveset to his own Cervantes, which took second place. KingK.Rool does not necessarily share that outlook.
- The Headless Horseman was K.Rool's only MYM 3.0 moveset that did not originate from a video game. In MYM 4, Jafar is the only one.
- There are interesting mechanical similarities between The Headless Horseman and Donna Levman, by Junahu. They both revolve largely around an item that defines their whole moveset. Donna's, however, is a battering item, and The Horseman's is for throwing. These similarities are coincidental, as K.Rool had not fully read Donna by the end of the submission period.
External Links[]